Barcelona’s Lionel Messi named Fifa Golden Ball winner

Star striker Lionel Messi has been awarded FIFA’s Golden Ball this year. The Argentinean who plays for Spanish Primera Liga leaders Barcelona is reported to have obtained the highest number of votes ever for a player to be awarded with the honor. Twenty two year old Messi got 473 points, the highest ever in the history of the Golden Ball competition and was miles ahead of his closest rival Christiano Ronaldo with 233 points. Another Barcelona player Xavi Hernandez scored obtained 170 points. Other players who made it to the top ten in the voting included Andrés Iniesta who obtained 149 points, followed by Samuel Eto’o with 75, and Kaká with 58. Zlatan Ibrahamovich was next with 50 points, Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney at 35, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba at 32 and Liverpool captain Gerrard capped up the list with 32 points. Messi is also reported to be the first Argentinean to be awarded the golden Ball.